Postpartum Recovery in some Countries
It seems unbelievable that, despite motherhood being essential for the survival of the human species, it is so undervalued in many countries.
For example, in the United States, there is no paid maternity leave, although federal law allows up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave with job protection, but only for eligible employees in companies of a certain size.
Other countries, such as Germany and Switzerland, offer 14 weeks of paid leave, while in Spain it is 19 weeks. But is this really enough for a woman who has just given birth to recover?
The quick and simple answer is no. Why? A woman's body doesn't recover so quickly after giving birth. This isn't just our opinion; science backs it up.
Specifically, a study published in the European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology has determined that, generally, full postpartum recovery can take even more than a year.
For decades, it was assumed that postpartum recovery was completed in just six weeks. This study analyzed over 300,000 pregnant women and conducted more than 40 million measurements to completely disprove that timeframe.
Researchers from the Weizmann Institute and Yale University created what is, to date, the most comprehensive overview of how the body changes from before conception to a year and a half postpartum.
The study provided key information and data on prolonged postpartum recovery, hormonal changes, and physiological adaptations.
The study's results essentially showed that physiological recovery is neither rapid nor uniform for all women.
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